Cigarette package



Oct.' 14,1969- R, FARSME CIGARETTE' PACKAGE Filed Oct. 26. 196'? REzA'FA IN\ E\TOR RsAvE TORNEx/s United States Patent O 3,472,361 CIGARETTEPACKAGE Reza Farsaie, 1040 Crest View Drive, San Carlos, Calif. 94070Filed Oct. 26, 1967, Ser. No. 678,337 Int. Cl. B65d 85 /1 0 U.S. Cl.206-38 3 Claims `ABSTRACT F THE DISCLOSURE A cigarette package of thetype comprising a relatively stiff box-like container having a hingedlymounted cover selectively movable between open and closed positions. Thecigarettes which also comprise a part of the package have substantiallythe same lengths so as to define a predetermined height within thecontainer. With the cover open, the stationary side wall structures ofthe container terminate at an elevation above the height of thecigarettes, the stationary front wall structure has a recessed portionterminating below the height of the cigarettes so as to provideconvenient access thereto, and the stationary rear wall structureterminates at substantially the elevaithon of the cigarettes in a hingeproviding the means by which the cover is movably secured to thestationary components of the container. As a result of this arrangement,when the cover is in its open position the whole inner surface of thetopgwall thereof is viewable without obstruction from the cigarettes sothat the entire area of a mirror located along such surface of the topwall is usable for viewing purposes.

This invention relates to a cigarette package and, more particularly, toan improved cigarette package of the type that comprises a relativelystiff box-like container or carton having a hingedly mounted coverselectively movable between open and closed positions to provide accessto the cigarettes located Within the container.

As is well known, cigarette containers of the character described areformed of relatively stiff paper, often referred to as chipboard orpaperboard, so as to provide the degree of stiffness `desired to form aprotective enclosure for the cigarettes received therewithin. Thecontainer comprises two general components, one of which is stationaryand the other of which is a movable cover hingedly secured tothestationary component and movable with respect thereto between open andclosed positions. The stationary component includes a bottom Wall andextending upwardly therefrom are front, rear and side walls; and thecover is hingedly secured to the rear Wall Ifor movement between aclosed position in which the cigarettes are completely covered by thevarious walls of the container and an open position providing access tothe cigarettes which are of substantially uniform length and thereforehave a particular height or elevation within the container.

An object, among others, of the present invention is to provide animproved cigarette package of such type in which the hinge connectionfor the movable cover of the container is located along the back wallthereof at substantially the height or elevation of the cigarettestherein so that when the cover is open, substantiallythe whole innersurface of the top wall thereof is viewable without interference fromthe cigarettes, whereby the entire area of a mirror located along theinner surface of such cover top wall is available for viewing purposes.

Another object of the invention is in the provision of a cigarettepackage of the character described in which the container cover isbiased selectively into either the open or closed position thereof bythe weight of a mirror carried by thecover along the inner surface ofthe top 3,472,361 Patented oct. 14, 1969 4wall thereof. Still anotherobject is that of providing a cigarette package as described in whichthe side wall structures of the carton extend upwardly to an elevationabove the height of the cigarettes to provide guides cooperative withside wall panels of the cover to facilitate movement thereof between itsopen and closed positions; and in which the side wall panels of thecover enlarge in length toward the front wall panel thereof so as toform with such front wall panel a hood that shields such mirror fromstray light that might otherwise interfere with any reflection to beobserved in the mirror.

Additional objects and advantages of the invention will become apparentas the discussion thereof proceeds through an explanation of thespecific structural embodiment illustrated in the accompanying drawing,in which:

FIGURE l is a perspective view of a cigarette package embodying theinvention, a portion of the container being broken away to show theinner liner thereof, and the cover being illustrated in its openposition;

FIGURE 2 is a side view in elevation of the package illustrated inFIGURE 1, portions of the container being broken away to illustrateinner components thereof; and

FIGURE 3 is a perspective view similar to that of FIGURE l, but showingthe cover of the package in its closed position.

The cigarette package illustrated in.` the drawings is designatedgenerally with the numeral 10 and comprises a container or carton 11 anda plurality of cigarettes 12 positioned therewithin. In the usual case,the cigarettes 12 total twenty in number and are of substantially thesame length so that they establish a predetermined height or elevationwithin the container. As respects the present invention, the cigarettes12 may be conventional and, for example, can be taken to be filter tipcigarettes having any suitable length such as a length of aboutmillimeters or the lesser king-size length, both of which are standard.

In general terms, the container 11 is of the Well known type heretoforedescribed that constitutes a relatively stiff, rigid or firm box-likeenclosure for the cigarettes, and has a movable cover or top componentselectively pivoted relative to the stationary component of thecontainer between open and closed positions as illustrated,respectively, in FIGURES 1 and 3. The stationary component of thecontainer 11 has a bottom wall 13 upon which the cigarettes 12 seat; andsecured to and extending upwardly from the bottom wall 13 are side wallstructures 14 and 15, a front wall structure 16 and a rear wallstructure 17. Ordinarily, the bottom, side, front and rear wallstructures of the container are cut from a single piece of material suchas relatively thick paper, i.e., chipboard or paperboard, which isscored and then folded into the box-like form shown in the drawings andxed in such configuration by overlying flaps adhesively secured to eachother, all in accordance with standard practice.

The side and front wall structures of the container 11 are formed inpart by a liner 18 located within the interior of the container andwhich liner has side wall laminations 19 and 20 and a front walllamination 21 respectively comprising a part of the side wall structures14 and 15 and front wall structure 16 of the container. The side wallstructures 14 and 15 are respectively provided therealong with seatingedges 22 and 23 that incline downwardly and forwardly from the elevationof a hinge 24 formed along the rear wall 17 of the container to thefront wall structure 16 thereof which provides a seating edge 25extending between and interconnecting the edges 22 and 23 at the lowerforward ends thereof.

The side wall laminations 19 and 20 of the liner 18 and the front walllamination 21 thereof' extend upwardly above such seating edges 22, 23Yand 25, and they also extend upwardly to an elevation substantiallyabove the height of the cigarettes 12, as shown in both FIGURES l and 2.However, the front wall lamination 21 of the liner is provided with alarge recess or cut-away portion 26 having a somewhat U-shapedconfiguration (as seen in FIGURE 1) resulting in the front wallstructure of the container terminating throughout a large centralportion thereof a spaced distance below the height of the cigarettes 12so as to provide ready access thereto when the cover 27 of the containeris open.

The cover 27 includes a top wall 28, side wall panels 29 and 30extending downwardly therefrom, and front and rear wall panels 31 and 32which also extend downwardly from the top wall 28. The cover 27 issupported for pivotal articulation between open and closed positions bythe hinge 24 which connects the cover with the rear wall structure 17 ofthe stationary container component. In the usual instance, the rear wallstructure 17 and rear wall panel 32 of the cover will be formedintegrally, with the entire container including the cover 27 thereof(but excluding the liner 18) being made from a single die-cut blank, allas is well known in the packaging art, in which case the hinge 24 isintegral with both the rear wall structure 17 and rear wall panel 32.The lower edges of the side wall panels 29 and 30 of the cover 27incline forwardly and downwardly from the hinge 24 to provide seats orseating edges 33 and 34 which are complementary in slope and dispositionto the seating edges 22 and 23 so as to matingly engage the same whenthe cover is closed, as shown in FIGURE 3; and in a similar manner, thelower edge 35 of the front wall panel 31 seats upon the edge 25 of thecontainer when the cover is closed.

Located within the cover 27 is a mirror or light-reflective component 36secured to the top wall 28 along the inner surface thereof. The mirror36 in the form shown is substantially coextensive in area with that ofthe top wall 28, and it is affixed within the cover in the positionshown as by adhesively securing the same to the inner surface of the topwall 28. Although susceptible of being fromed from a variety ofmaterials, polished metals for example, the mirror 36 is a glass mirrorand the weight thereof is advantageously employed in gravity biasing thecover 27 selectively into either the open or closed positions thereof,as will be described hereinafter. Also useful in maintaining the coverin its closed position are one or more tabs 37 formed along the walllaminations 19 and of the liner 18, and such tabs are struck outwardlyfrom the planes of such laminations so as to frictionally engage thewall panels 29 and 30 of the cover when the cover is closed.

The mirror 36 may be afiixed along the top wall 28 at any convenienttime during the fabrication of the container, usually in accordance withthe manner in which the blank from which the carton is fabricated issecured in the container-forming configuration. For example, if the sidewall panels 29 and 30 of the cover are equipped with tabs that underliethe top wall 28 and are attached thereto, as is the case in certaincigarette containers, the mirror 36 is most readily secured along thetop wall 28 after the container is formed. In any event, the weight ofthe mirror is effective to bias the cover 27 selectively toward eitherthe open or closed position thereof depending upon the location of thecenter of gravity of the mirror at any instant with respect to the hinge24. Thus, whenever the cover 27 has been opened to the extent that theweight of the mirror (i.e., its center of gravity) is oriented on theright-hand side of the hinge 24 as the container is viewed in FIGURE 2,the cover will be weightbiased toward the open position shown. Wheneverthe cover 27 is rotated in a counter-clockwise direction (as viewed inFIGURE 2) into a position at which the center of gravity of the mirroris disposed along the lefthand side of the hinge 24, the cover will beweight-biased toward its completely closed position.

The hinge 24, as explained heretofore, is located at substantially theelevation of the cigarettes 12 within the container; and as respects theviewability of the mirror 36, the hinge may be disposed at a variety oflocations above the elevation of the cigarettes without adverseinfiuence. Since the side wall panels 29 and 30 angle for wardly anddownwardly from the hinge 24, the resultant forward projection of theside wall and front wall panels of the cover defines a hood over themirror 36 which shields the same from image-interfering stray or ambientlight which might otherwise interfere with use of the mirror. Also asconcerns the hinge 24, the material from which the container is formedshould be sufficiently stiff to provide a good hinge action for thecover 27.

The liner 18 is located within the cigarette-receiving compartmentdefined by the container, and the liner may be formed of chipboard,paperboard or other relatively thick paper so as to reinforce andstifi'en the container. The tabs 37 may be formed by severing the lineralong the fold lines thereof at the mergences of the respective sidewall and front wall laminations. The mirror 36 is an aid in withdrawingcigarettes 12 from the container compartment receiving the same becauseit collects light and partially reflects it onto the cigarettes toilluminate the upper ends thereof; and also by appropriate positioningof the cover 27, it provides a refiection of the upper ends of thecigarettes 12, which refiection can be used to guide the fingers to acigarette for grasping the same. While as stated before, the mirror maybe made of a variety of materials, it is desirable that it be of a rigidmaterial such as of glass and disposed so that it also acts as astrengthening member for the cover top wall 28 which diminishes thepossibility that the top cover can be inadvertently crushed or folded.

In the foregoing specification an embodiment of th': invention has beenset forth in considerable detail for purposes of making an adequatedisclosure thereof. It will be apparent, however, to those skilled inthe art that numerous changes may be made in such details withoutdeparting from the spirit and principles of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A cigarette package: comprising a container adapted for containing aplurality of cigarettes of substantially uniform length and therebyestablishing a predetermined height within said container; saidcontainer including a stationary component having a bottom wallsupporting said cigarettes thereupon and front, rear, and side wallstructures extending upwardly therefrom and defining a compartmentreceiving said cigarettes therein; said front wall structure having arecessed portion terminating a spaced distance below the height of saidcigarettes to provide access thereto, said side wall structuresterminating above the elevation of said cigarettes, and said rear wallstructure terminating substantially at the elevation thereof; and acover for removably closing the open upper end of the stationarycomponent of said container and having a top wall and front, rear, andside wall panels extending therefrom; a mirror positioned within saidcover and secured to said top wall thereof, said mirror beingsubstantially coextensive in area with that of said top wall andsubstantially covering the inner surface thereof; said cover beinghingedly secured along the rear wall panel thereof to said rear `wallstructure at substantially the elevation of said cigarettes and beingselectively movable between a position closing said container and anopen position in which substantially the entire inner extent of said topwall is available for unobstructed viewing of said mirror, said sideWall structures being provided with seating edges therealong that slopedownwardly and forwardly from the hinge connection of said cover withsaid rear wall structure, and said front wall structure being providedwith a seating edge extending between the seating edges of said sidewall structures; and in which the side and front wall panels of saidcover have respectively complementary seating edges which abuttinglyengage all of the aforesaid seating edges when said cover is in itsclosed position; said cover, augmented by the forward extension of theside and front Wall panels thereof resulting from the slope of theseating edges of said side Wall panels and connection of said front Wallpanel therewith, serving as a hood to shield any such mirror locatedalong said top wall from image-interfer ing stray light.

2. The cigarette package of claim 1 in which said container furtherincludes a liner therewithn having side and front wall laminationsrespectively constituting a part of the aforesaid side and front wallstructures and defining the upper terminii thereof; the side and frontwall panels of said cover being disposed in enclosing relation with theupper terminal portions of said liner when the cover is in the closedposition thereof.

3. The cigarette package of claim 1 in which said mirror is a glasscomponent adhesively secured to said top wall, the weight of said mirrorbeing effective to gravity bias said cover selectively toward the closedor open position thereof in accordance with the approximate position ofsaid cover and the corresponding disposition of the center of gravity ofsaid mirror.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 723,012 3/ 1903 Nederland.3,099,382 7/1963 Talbert 229-44 10 3,167,075 l/l965 Paley et al. 206-41X FOREIGN PATENTS 277,760 9/1951 Switzerland.

15 MARTHA L. RICE, Primary Examiner Us. C1. XR. zoe-41

